AstraZeneca and Abraxis sign US Abraxane co-promotion deal for $200M

Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca says that it has signed an agreement with USA-based Abraxis BioScience to co-promote the anti-cancer agent Abraxane (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension), in the US. AstraZeneca added that it would also divest its US anesthetics and analgesic product lines to Abraxis.

Potential to treat a wide range of tumors

Abraxane is an albumin-bound formulation of paclitaxel, which was first approved for the treatment of breast cancer by the US Food and Drug Administration in January of last year (Marketletter January 17, 2005). The product does not require careful premedication to avoid hypersensitivity reactions and can be given over a shorter time period than other formulations of the drug. Abraxis says that the compound is being developed for a wide range of tumor types, including those of non small-cell lung, ovarian, prostate, adjuvant breast, melanoma, head, neck and upper gastroinstestinal tract cancers.